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[Page 49]
machine guns. The 10th L.H. Regiment pressed on and cleared up the situation by dismounted action, taking 12 prisoners and 2 machine guns. As the advance guard approached Duma the enemy again brought machine guns into action. One squadron of the 10th Regiment, however, most ably assisted by four machine guns under the command of Lieut. Patterson worked round and attacked the enemy's right flank with fine dash, capturing 500 prisoners, (including 40 Germans and 37 machine guns). The enemy made another stand at Khan Kussier but again were vigorously routed after some street fighting, in which our machine guns, (6), under Captain Bryant, took very prominent part. 40 Germans, 120 Turks and more machine guns being taken. The country from Damascus to a mile past Khan Kussier is densely covered with vineyards and olive groves, admirably adapted for rear-guard action with machine guns. The enemy tactics appeared to be to fight the machine guns in a rear guard action to the last moment, and then to abandon them and ride off to the next position, bringing fresh guns into position there. From Khan Kussier about 2,000 enemy cavalry and infantry were seen heading for the pass into the hills north of Khan Ayash. The enemy had now reached the plain and were extended across it on a mile frontage across the road. They were here again aiding the retreat by the use of machine guns, which they would bring into action a few at a time, and if necessary abandon. They mounted two guns in a house about a mile from the pass but abandoned one complete and the mountings of the other, but not before they had done their work. A large portion of their force was mounted but our machine guns kept in action at ranges from 1,000 to 1,500 yards by frequently pushing on. Attempts were made by mounted attack to cut off the enemy from the pass. A squadron of the 9th Regiment was sent up on the left under the foothills to cut him off, but heavy and skilfully directed machine gun fire from guns already in position held them up. The hills on the left were impassable. The whole of the 9th and 10th Regiments and the machine guns squadron were now engaged, the rear of the enemy column was being pressed across the open country between Khan Kussier and Kubbet I Asafur. At this stage the C.O., 10th Regiment, received a report from his right flank patrol that a force of some 3,000 cavalry was moving towards us from the north-east and then about 4 miles away. This occasioned me much concern. Some of the machine guns were down to their last belt. Their limbers could not possibly join up for hours. A force of 3,000 mounted men within half an hour of my flank had to be considered. The 10th Regiment accordingly ceased the pursuit and was got in hand. A strong squadron of the 8th Regiment together with the Brigade Scouts were sent out to the right to reconnoitre the reported cavalry. In due course they reported that it was an enormous camel convoy consisting of thousands of camels with armed riders, being the big annual caravan from Aleppo to Mecca; they caused us no further anxiety, but in the meantime the enemy whom we had been pursuing were safe in the hills. During the day's fighting amongst the olive groves and vineyards north of Damascus and across the open land towards the hills the Brigade had taken 744 more prisoners and 80 machine guns. The Nott's Battery had not accompanied us on this day's march, being left in the valley near El Mezze, being unable to accompany us over the hills towards Dumar on the Beirut Road. We were also unfortunate with our Field Ambulance. Without reference to the Brigade it had been stopped some miles to the south-west of Damascus, and put on to the job of collecting sick and wounded Germans and Turks. The result was that we had not even a stretcher to give our men wounded on the 1st of October. Wounded men were carried in to bivouac on the front of horses and later on in two delapidated buggies, which we seized locally for the purpose - some ambulance wagons turned up in the afternoon of the 2nd October, after my strong remonstrance that I thought the Brigade's wounded should have first call on it's own ambulance.
As the last feed issued had been eaten at dawn, and as the Brigade had as yet had no time to requisition for more, it was necessary to return to Duma to draw feed by requisition. The Brigade bivouaced for the night about two miles north of the village, orders being issued for a strong patrol of the 8th Regiment to push out along the road towards the foot hills at dawn and for each of the Regiments to put out an outpost line to protect their bivouac from the east.